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Could I keep it as a pet???

3K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  Shipmonkey 
#1 ·
This might seem kinda weird and make me look a little wacko, but I'm going to ask anyway. I went to a new asian market by my house today, and they had a large tank full of live Tilapia about 6-8 inches long. I'm cuious if I could keep one as a pet, assuming the store had no issues selling one still alive. I know I've read before that they are related to most aquarium Cichlids, but not sure if the ones commonly eaten are unsuitable for aquariums for any reason. I just liked the way they looked and stared at them for a while wondering if it was possible that one day I could walk in there and pardon one of these guys. I'm gonna need a bigger tank though. Anyone ever done this before?
 
#5 ·
Most Tilapia get pretty big. You'll need a large tank, but they don't really require any other special care. Most are highly herbivorous, if I remember correctly.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, I knew I would need a bigger tank. Biggest on I have now is 29G, which definitely isn't even close. I wasn't sure how big of a tank you would need, but I was just thinking around 75G because I was assuming they would sell them at full size since you pay by the pound. But that's why I wanted to ask first. I'm not planning on doing this real soon or anything, just wondering if it's reasonable. Would definitely be a lot cheaper than buying large cichlids from the LFS around here. No idea exactly which species they are, but they were mostly white, a little bit of pink in some places, with some pretty big lips. A few were more of a grayish blue color. I tried googling tilapia to see if I could find pics to determin species, and this looks pretty close to what the store had, but I can't be sure with this pic, and the coloring definitely looks different with more of a green tone, but may just be the lighting. I was just hoping they didn't turn into giant monsters or go flying 5 ft out of the water or anything. I doubt they jump much though, since there was no top on the tank they kept them in.



I did think it was at least nice that they had a big air stone and heaters in the tank for them though. They were treated a little better than I expected for something being sold as food, but they were still pretty crowded in there. They did seem to be having fun playing with each other also so I felt a little less bad for them.
 
#9 ·
If you want one, check craigslist atlanta, if thats not to far for you to drive.
There is a 600 gallon fiberglass tank with glas front for sale for $100, post said its like one from the store.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/for/2199689204.html
When I go to farmers markets I also want to take those fish home...
 
#13 ·
I would definitely go get that if I could, but I seriously doubt I can find a placce to setup a 600 gallon tank anytime soon. Good price though. I think I'll just have to wait until I'm more capable of giving a fitting home. I still want to do it one day, just not currently equipped for it.

Maybe I can find some smaller ones at a market.
HMMM, Sardines maybe. :)
 
#14 ·
There is a place in FLA that sells small -2inch Tilapia's, but u have to buy in 100 bulk... I was interested in some for an aquaphonic system, but a 100 is to much...
 
#17 ·
yeah, those fish are super strong, can live in very low oxygen waters and live trough ammonia and nitrite spikes like no other fish.
Those fish are bred in captivity on top of each other with no space to swim, terrible circumstances, with only mealed chicken bones and antibiotics to eat...
 
#19 ·
If you're looking for huge tanks, that you can't see into the side of, check your local Craig's list for free hot tubs. There are several a year in my part of Michigan.
You have to plug the holes you don't use as bulk heads.
Most hot tubs are larger than the Tilapia growing vats at the fish labs on campus. When they feed you can't see into a tank full anyway.
 
#24 ·
I don't think I could do that after keeping it as a pet. Would be a little awkward when I'm chewing him up.

I always used to think the same whenever I'd go to the local Asian market. Eventually I asked one of the guys about keeping one alive and he said that he keeps a few as pets, as well as a pet king crab... His eyes were buggin' out of his head and he'd stare at me awkwardly as we were talking... So I decided to not do it.
Haha, I don't think I'd be taking that guys advice either. :eek:
 
#21 ·
I always used to think the same whenever I'd go to the local Asian market. Eventually I asked one of the guys about keeping one alive and he said that he keeps a few as pets, as well as a pet king crab... His eyes were buggin' out of his head and he'd stare at me awkwardly as we were talking... So I decided to not do it.
 
#22 ·
The asian market in the town I went to college had flowerhorn cichlids that they were selling alive as food fish. She said she could breed and raise them for far cheaper than buying live tilapia. I would sell her live carp on a regular basis. She was always so excited when I would walk in with a bucket of carp.
 
#31 ·
I breed them in the 70's. They were called "Egyption Mouth Brooders" at the time. Since they were kept in 10 and 20 gallon aquariums they did not get very big. We did not know about their potential as food fish at that time.

Egytian Mouthbrooders do only get to be a few inches long. They're in a seperate genus, Pseudocrenilabrus, and sub-family of cichlids, Pseudocrenilabrinae, than the aqualcultured tilipias. Of course the aquacultured tilipia tend not to be "true" tilapias either, hailing mostly from the genuses Oreochromis and Sarotheradon instead of Tilapia.
 
#25 · (Edited)
If you want something that looks a little bit nicer look up ....tilapia buttikoferi. I had one of these and omfg it was my favorite fish. It was very smart and basically eats ANYTHING that lands in the tank. It was quite good looking too. Ill post a fts of mine if I can find it

EDIT:



BTW That was a 55g, but the fish would do better in a 75
 
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